So...is it skunked?

When you say skunked, do you mean 'smells like a skunk' or do you mean something else?

 

When n=1, significance = 0. Skunked or not, if you've only had one maibock, you effectively have nothing to base any conclusions upon. You may have picked up skunkiness, or maybe maibocks just taste differently than you are expecting them to taste. And of course you might expect a skunkiness to be more likely given the green bottle and the trans-atlantic shipping, but again, n=1. Various European beers make it to the US in green bottles and aren't skunked, aren't old, and taste fine. All that being said...

Did you check for a bottling date or freshness date? You could of course be right about the skunk in the bottle, but you need more data points. Perhaps pick up another bottle from a different store or the same store. Perhaps search for another maibock that's sold in your area (there are a few made in the US, it's just not a super common style). Perhaps try another green bottle import from the same store and see if the same flavor is there. To me, the discovery process of beer is one of the main enjoyments I get out of it.

If you want to be a judge, asking questions, engaging in dialogue, and just generally thinking about the subject (like you are here) is certainly moving you in that direction. Good luck man!

 

I love this. I should paint it above my desk at work or something.

Also, OP, good luck with your BCJP-ing!

 

No beer should smell or taste like skunk. It's an unmistakable characteristic and it's always a flaw.

I had a Saison DuPont a few years ago that was skunked. I'm now very careful to select a bottle from the back of the shelf (it's darker there).

Regarding similar experiences and conclusions, years and years ago, maybe 40, I bought a six pack of Molson Canadian (clear bottles) for a party because it was reputed to be an excellent beer (lousy selection in the 70s). It smelled and tasted like skunk. Since this was an 'excellent' beer, I concluded that skunk was a desirable characteristic in beer. I later bought a quart bottle of Ballantine Ale (clear bottle). I think it cost 39 cents. It smelled like freaking road kill! This must not be merely good, it must be an awesome beer! I concluded, that very evening, that I didn't like awesome beer.

I've learned much in the ensuing 40 years.

 

When you're judging all you get is an n=1 (Unless its mini-BOS (2)), so significance = infinity.

 

This. It's not like diactyl that is acceptable in low levels in certain styles.

 

A judge will have an internal reference built up from repeated past sampling of the style of beer being judged. In addition the judge will typically have experience with specific past examples of off-flavors, including skunked beer. So the two situations are not comparable.

 

To resolve all doubts about "skunked" buy two green bottles that you take directly from an unopened case so you know they have not been exposed to light. (e.g., Yuengling Lager should be easy and inexpensive near where yo live.) Protect them from light until home. Put one in the fridge and let the other sit in direct sunlight for an hour and then refrigerate until both are the same temp, etc. Remove both from the fridge, wait 15 min. And then open both side by side. You'll know at that moment what a skunked beer is like and which of the two bottles you'll want to sample. From each bottle, pour about an inch of beer in one of two clean glasses. Taste test each. You'll then know what to expect from a skunked beer vs. a non-skunked beer in the same style.

 

Not so. If the beer is packaged in clear or green glass, the brewer intends it to be skunked.

 

Thanks now I spit my coffee.

 

I'm probably one of the very few people that actually likes the taste of a skunked Euro Pale Lager (I know, I know).

 

I'm not trying to be snarky, but if you can't identify whether a beer is skunked or not, you're not ready to judge beers.

You might put beers of different styles out in the sun in clear glasses and sample them to familiarize yourself with the skunked taste.

 

^ I was going to say this as well. Some brewers, particularly those in the Netherlands and Denmark intentionally expose their beer to UV before bottling even takes place. As odd as it seems, in some styles (particularly Euro pale lagers), this has become a desired characteristic.


Also, from http://beeradvocate.com/articles/527

That being said....I've never had a skunky Maibock. It was probably old.

 

I don't understand why any brewery would put beer in anything other than amber bottles. Beer has been known to be light sensitive (UV specifically). I work in a pharmaceutical lab and any pharmaceutical that is light sensitive goes in amber glassware because it does the best blocking out UV light (I'd say about half the pharmaceuticals I work with are UV light sensitive). All beer should go in amber glasses because of this and I'm surprised that some still don't. Now amber glass does not completely filter out UV light, but it does significantly better than green and increasingly better than clear.

EDIT: I forgot... if the intent is to degrade the beer a little, some breweries have done green and then degraded it. You can also store the bottles protected from light, but once it goes to the store or consumer, anything goes. Most lights give off UV light too!

 

What does skunk smell like? It's like asking someone what BO smells like, when you pass a guy who has the dreaded BO you'll know. Skunked beer smells like cabbage to me, and it stinks up a room if it's bad enough. Smell it once and for the first time you'll have no doubt. The worst offenders are German beers imported in green bottles left impossibly long on the shelf I suppose. I popped open a St Pauli Girl years ago, and the whole room smelled like cabbage, it wasn't just tainted that brew was a step beyond raunchy.

 

The king of the skunks...though better in draft form

Pepe Le Pew's all time macro fave...

And yet somehow the skunk is M.I.A. here...

 

If brewers intentionally skunk their beer, how come it doesn't smell of skunk when it comes from the keg?

 

Everything above being already said, I won't add to that, but I hope that you find a Maibock that is not flawed in some way. I think it's one of the best-tasting styles available, and I wish they were easier to find.